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Dechert

Interesting selling points

  • Dechert is renowned for its Investment Funds work and Financial Crime and Investigations & Enforcement work. 
  • Notable clients include Yodel, Bank of America, Bentley Systems, FIFTHDELTA, Airbus and GIC.
  • Responds quickly to short-term changes to market conditions, as demonstrated before the outcome of the Brexit referendum, where the firm established a dedicated team of partners and set up a free hotline to answer clients’ Brexit-related questions.
  • First major US firm to open an office in Ireland, a move designed to cater to its large client base of investment funds.
  • Uniquely flexible six seat training contract, enabling trainees to experience a broader range of practices than they would at most other City firms, plus it offers a trip to Philadelphia for newly qualified solicitors. 
  • Small trainee intake.
  • The training contract provides a comprehensive and holistic training experience, featuring workshops on AI innovations, effective writing, commercial awareness, and technical legal expertise. Trainees also have access to the Competency Training Programme delivered by the Critical Skills Institute, which focuses on leadership, management, communication and client relations.
  • Dechert’s Innovation Pilot Programme and Spark Tank competition are a testament to its commitment to technology and innovation. 
  • The firm is involved in a broad range of pro bono matters, with every lawyer being required to undertake a minimum of 25 pro bono hours per year. 

We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.

Practice areas / services

Dechert has a broad range of practice areas including: 

  • Antitrust/Competition 
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 
  • Corporate 
  • Crisis Management 
  • Cyber, Privacy & AI 
  • Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation 
  • Enforcement and Investigations 
  • Financial Restructuring 
  • Financial Services and Investment Management 
  • Intellectual Property 
  • International Arbitration 
  • Litigation 
  • Mergers and Acquisitions 
  • National Security 
  • Permanent Capital 
  • Private Client 
  • Private Credit 
  • Private Equity 
  • Product Liability and Mass Torts 
  • Real Estate 
  • Sustainability 
  • Tax 

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Dechert its ‘Band 2’ ranking for its Investment Funds: Hedge Funds department. See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

Dechert services a broad range of industries, with some of its highest-value clients operating in the following sectors: 

In addition, Dechert services the following industries: Automotive and Transportation, Energy, Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Fintech, Health Care, Insurance, Life Sciences, Private Equity, Real Estate and Telecommunications, Media and Technology. 

Work

Examples of Dechert’s work include: 

  • FIFTHDELTA: Dechert advised this group on the launch of its flagship fund, which turned out to be one of Europe’s largest new hedge funds in 2021. 
  • Airbus: The firm advised Airbus on a complex, coordinated settlement with UK, French and US authorities, which resulted from investigations into alleged bribery and corruption. 23 jurisdictions were involved. 
  • GIC: The firm advised this Singaporean sovereign wealth fund on its £6.7 billion cash offer for Morrisons supermarket. 

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: New York, 1095 Avenue of the Americas. 

Offices: Dechert has 21 offices across the globe in cities across the US, UK and Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Africa and the Asia Pacific. The London office is based at 160 Queen Victoria Street. 

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Dechert offers a Vacation Scheme at its London office, from which trainee solicitors are recruited. Each Vacation Scheme is two weeks long. Before beginning the vacation scheme, vac schemers are asked for their practice area preferences and the firm attempts to place vac schemers in those areas. 

Throughout the scheme, vac schemers are monitored by a supervisor, a trainee buddy and a partner buddy. There are three schemes: winter, spring and summer, each with differing application dates. The application process is an initial online application form, followed by a video interview and written exercise, then (if selected) an assessment day. 

Training contract

Dechert directly recruits trainees from its three vacation schemes, with 10 training contracts being offered each year. The training contract is uniquely flexible, as it is comprised on six seats. Incoming trainees can express whether they’d like a contentious or non-contentious first seat and from there, they can then list three preferences for subsequent seats. Note that it is compulsory for trainees to sit in the firm’s financial services group at some stage. 

The training contract features workshops on AI innovations, effective writing, commercial awareness, and building technical legal expertise. Trainees can also access the Critical Skills Institute, which focuses on leadership, management, communication and client relations. All qualifiers attend an orientation in Philadelphia at the end of their training contract. 

Secondments

Trainees can apply for an international secondment at one of Dechert’s other international offices or to undertake a client secondment. 

Technology and innovation

Dechert focuses on fostering a culture of innovative thinking, which can then be translated into offerings for clients. It fosters that culture in the following ways: 

  • Dechert Idea Bank: This scheme runs throughout the year, and can be used by any member of the firm, on any given day, to submit their innovative ideas relating to elevating the firm’s service offering and delivery as well as improving working conditions. 
  • Innovation Curriculum: This is an in-house tool which provides members of the firm with the tools needed to think differently, to explore new possibilities, and effect positive change within the firm and for its clients. The curriculum features self-paced coursework, Ted Talks, live events and trainings. 
  • Dechert Spark Tank: This is a friendly in-firm competition where participants submit innovation-related ideas. Finalists then share their ideas in more detail through a pitch video, which is watched by other members of firm who are then able to vote for their favourite ideas. The winner has their idea funded by the firm. 
Corporate social responsibility

Pro bono work is approached with the “same energy, enthusiasm, and resources” as its usual client work. Examples of the firm’s pro bono work include: 

  • Islington Law Centre: Dechert solicitors and trainees staff a monthly free legal advice clinic at the centre. The centre provides free legal advice and representation to people who live, work or have a connection with Islington. 
  • The Prince’s Trust: The Prince’s Trust provides practical and financial support to young people who most need help. Dechert offers clinics at its offices to Prince’s Trust’s young entrepreneurs who need legal business advice. 
  • Centre for Criminal Appeals: Dechert works with this non-profit specialist law firm, which provides representation for prisoners seeking to appeal against their convictions to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Court of Appeal. 
  • Harris Fédération Academics: Dechert employees have donated scientific calculators to students at nearby Harris Federations Academies, where significant numbers of students are unable to afford this essential piece of equipment required for GCSE and A Level Maths courses. 

Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion is at the “core” of Dechert’s culture and business strategy, as reflected by the following examples: 

  • Affinity Groups: The firm has 11 affinity groups which enable members of various diverse communities to come together within the firm to host events and discuss with each other the challenges they face. The affinity groups then support the work of the wider Inclusion and Diversity Committee. 
  • London Inclusion and Diversity Committee: This committee focuses on promoting an inclusive culture amongst all employees within the London office. It offers a range of events from discussions of issues faced by diverse professionals to photo exhibitions and panel discussions. 
  • Diversity Awards: The award recognises and rewards those who serve as role models for the inclusive, open culture the firm values, and results in winners receiving a bonus.